The Walls that Continually Change
by juliashappyfish
Summary: When Derek and Casey fight about yet another trivial matter, Casey gets fed up and ops for a new solution. Things change.
1. Prologue

_Chapter 1_  
**Umbrella**

"I don't see why you have to have your date here," Casey yelled from across the living room.

"And _I _don't see why you're still here," Derek retorted smartly. Casey fumed. All she wanted was one quiet evening. No family running around, no loud music, no additional _annoyance_.

"I can't believe you. Last time the family was gone, I stayed in my room all night just so you can have your stupid marathon night with Sam," Casey continued angrily.

"Oh, like you didn't want to spend your night alone in your bedroom. I mean, _all_ that homework," Derek said, as he fell back on his recliner. As much as she hated to admit it, Casey felt her insides tighten at the harshness of his tone. She refused to let him win.

"Fuck you, Derek. You can go anywhere else with your date," she countered unrelentingly. "And still please your raging hormones."

"That's really rich, Case. Got any more half-ass comments to make?" he dripped sarcastically, looking at his watch. "'Cause I still have a good 35 minutes before Wendy comes."

Casey sputtered, not believing her stepbrother's audacity. _What Derek wants, Derek gets_. She really couldn't get around it, could she? This is how it's been since she moved in here; this is how it'll always be. Casey tensed as she watched Derek flick through the channels on TV. He was just so selfish. She didn't know how long she stood there until she realized she was going to cry. The frustration of living with Derek was driving her up the walls; it simply wasn't worth the effort anymore.

"Fine," she said in a tone that she hoped sounded cold, hoping he didn't hear the tremor in her voice. She grabbed her sweater and headed straight for the door, not exactly sure about her destination. She just needed to get out. The last thing she wanted was Derek realizing she was about to cry.

She slammed the door behind her and hurried to put her sweater on before the crisp autumn wind bit her skin. She was so frustrated and angry; she honestly didn't know what to do at this point. She kept on walking, never stopping or looking back. A good fifteen minutes later, she reached a deserted park and proceeded to a far-end corner, trying to keep her tears in check until she was properly seated.

There was a mother and a child approaching the playground but took no particular notice of her. At this point, Casey didn't care. She was crying hard and merely tried not to sob too loudly. She hunched her head low and covered her face. She was sure the sight she presented was pretty pathetic. As her tears slowly subsided, she felt a tap on her shoulder, only to look up and see a little girl staring back at her.

"Are you okay?" she asked wide-eyed. Casey recognized her.

She nodded and swatted her eyes. "Amy! Yes, I'm fine. Thank you," Casey said nicely, appreciating the concern.

"But you're crying!" the girl persisted indignantly.

"Amy," the mother admonished half-heartedly. She came closer and scooped her daughter up. "Hey Casey."

Casey smiled. "Hey Mrs. Moore." Her voice was hoarse from her crying. She hastily wiped her eyes again, embarrassed at being caught.

"Haven't seen you in a while," she said casually. She was smiling warmly down at Casey, a worried expression on her face.

"I know," Casey admitted. She used to baby-sit Amy a year or so ago. Mrs. Moore was also one of George's colleagues. Casey remembered how she had insisted Casey to call her Sarah.

"It's pretty cold, and you seem to have been out here quite a while… well at least as long as we have," Sarah stated, setting her daughter down. Casey didn't even know how long she had been there for.

"I'm okay, really," she dismissed, trying to sound convincing.

"You're shivering," Sarah responded matter-of-factly. Casey hadn't even noticed until then, feeling a violent shiver coarse through her at the realization. "You should go home."

Her face contorted in an awful grimace before she had a chance to stop herself. She hoped George's associate hadn't noticed, but knew it was hoping for too much.

"Don't you have the house to yourself? I do remember George worrying about leaving you and Derek alone for the weekend," she asked, genuinely intrigued. For some unexplainable reason, Casey wasn't annoyed by her persistence. Her comforting tone sounded genuine and sincere.

"Exactly…" she finally mumbled. She let out a loud sighed, suddenly tired from all the frustration she's been feeling lately.

"I see," the older woman said, nodding in understanding. "Well, you're welcome to come hang with us for a while. Amy, tell her about the cookies you made!"

The little girl's eyes lit up as she bounced in excitement. "I made chocolate chip cookies with mommy." Her enthusiasm was infectious and soon had Casey smiling despite herself.

"What's worse, they're not half-bad," Sarah admitted with an impish smile. Casey laughed, feeling herself unwittingly relax at the easy atmosphere they seem to have created.

"That's very nice of you," Casey said politely, happy at their offer but afraid she might come off as rude if she simply accepted.

"Oh, it's nothing really. Of all the things your family has done for me, it's honestly my pleasure," she reassured unabashedly. "Now come, the car is right over there."

"Are you sure it's okay?" Casey asked worriedly.

"Please, Casey. It's just me and Amy home tonight. My husband is out of town on a business trip. We'd actually really like the company," she continued sincerely. She unlocked the doors and motioned for Casey to take the front seat while she buckled her daughter in the back.

The drive didn't last very long but Casey was smiling like an idiot when they reached the house. The whole car ride was spent listening to Amy's rendition of 'Umbrella'. She sang Jimmy Hendrix's 'bold as love' upon her mother's request. Granted, Amy didn't know any of the words but she made them up along the way.

When they finally reached the front door, Casey was feeling distinctly better.

"Have you had dinner?" Sarah cheerfully asked from the kitchen door. "Amy and I haven't yet. Would you like to join us?"

"Sure," she answered, trying to keep her attention on Amy's hands to discover the scam behind her magic trick.

"You won't find it," Amy kept saying happily.

"Just you wait," Casey said determinedly, easily pulled by the little girl's zest.

It wasn't until later that thoughts about Derek resurfaced.


	2. Harsh Words Never Go Unnoticed

**Author's Pre-Note**: Thank you for all your comments : ).

Sorry for the long wait… I thought I'd have it done soon but my research teacher decided a week to read fifteen 30-page-articles was ample time (as if I didn't have any other assignments…)

0

_Chapter 2  
_**Hash Words Never Go Unnoticed**

Casey had been gone for three hours already. Normally, he wouldn't have cared, but the way she had abruptly stormed out unwillingly bothered him. She had been on edge lately; the finals were roaming near and the silly fundraising event she had been working was at its crest. But this was Casey, Grade-Grubber Extraordinaire. She _lived_ to be busy and unyielding.

And she left. She let him have his way, _just like that_.

Something definitely didn't add up. He hadn't imagined the quiver in her voice.

"Damn," he swore under his breath, noticing Wendy making her way back from the bathroom. He wasn't supposed to worry about her and cursed once again when he gently pushed Wendy off of him.

"I'm sorry, Wendy," he apologized in frustration. "I'll be back in a minute."

He got up and dialed Emily's number before losing his nerve. When a perky voice came on the line, Derek sighed.

"Emily?"

"Yes… Derek?" Emily answered in surprise. He didn't blame her, he never called.

"Is Casey there?" he asked casually, hoping Emily wouldn't be the wiser.

"No, is she supposed to be?" Emily said curiously.

"Um, I guess not. She's not home," Derek said nonchalantly. Before Emily got a chance to voice any concern, Derek added, "I was just wondering where she left my Radiohead CD."

"Oh."

He heaved a quiet sigh, relieved that his distraction worked.

"Well, thanks Em. If you see Casey, tell her it better be lost in my room somewhere and not in hers," he finished, trying to sound threatening, but falling short.

"Alright, _Der_," Emily said in an uncertain tone, obviously knowing something was up. "Bye."

Momentarily forgetting that he'd been caught, Derek seriously wondered where Casey could be. Her other friend Amanda was at the Justin Timberlake concert. Max wasn't a possibility; he and Casey had broken up two months ago. Anyone else Casey knew was an acquaintance. There was Sam. _No_, he thought, he was at his grandparent's house.

"Argh," Derek grunted in annoyance. "Why does it matter?"

"Derek?" Wendy called out from the living room. "You okay?"

She sauntered towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist. It did little to assuage his uneasiness.

"Actually, Wendy… I'm not feeling too well," Derek said while his face contorted to look believing, knowing he was pretty convincing.

"Aw," the brunette cooed as she rubbed his back. "Want me to stay and take care of you?" she added slyly.

Derek smiled flirtatiously but kindly dismissed her. After a few languid kisses, she finally left, leaving Derek with his wandering thoughts. It wasn't mere minutes later that Casey walked in.

"Where the hell have you been?" he inquired somewhat harshly.

"None of your business," she retorted in much the same manner.

She went straight for her bedroom after that, only further fuming Derek's frustration. He followed her up.

"Like hell it is," he said angrily, catching up to her quickly. "You storm out of here like you've just seen a ghost. _Excuse me_ if I think a girl shouldn't be out alone roaming the streets on a Friday night."

"Oh, save your breath Derek. It was 7 when I left. Don't get all dramatic," she said with vehemence, spinning around to face him.

"I'm being dramatic?! You're the one who walked out in a huff," he responded in heated disbelief.

"Only because you drive me _up the walls_," she shot back, matching his intensity. "God, since when do you even care?"

That shut him up. He cared. Just because he always got what he wanted, doesn't mean he didn't _care_.

"I care," he answered in affliction. He was never the type to be obvious about his feelings, unless it was with Marty.

"Right, that explains a lot then," Casey muttered, rolling her eyes. She turned back around and made to shut the door before Derek stopped her.

"Well, if you weren't such an uptight bitch, you might realize that we're not all going to fall at your feet whenever you want," he snapped, regretting his words almost immediately after having said them. Hurt briefly flashed in her eyes but it quickly disappeared.

"Fuck you, Derek," she said in an unsettling tone, shutting the door in his face.

Derek shook his head, feeling the guilt wash over him. Casey rarely ever swore. This was _bad_. He had _really_ screwed up this time.

0

Casey avoided Derek all day on Saturday. She kept hearing his spiteful words in her head, "if you weren't such an uptight bitch," over and over. Though she knew it really shouldn't matter what he thought, she couldn't help but feel hurt. It was moments like those that truly made her believe that Derek genuinely hated her.

It was relatively easy to keep her distances with Derek. She had a meeting at the community center that day and had a library stop to make. She loitered at the mall until the clock hit 3 pm. Her mother and George would have arrived home by then.

She needed to talk to them. She wanted to move out.

Not of the house, of course, but _out of her room_. She was hoping they'd agree to switch their basement bedroom for hers. She fairly doubted they'd refuse. She just couldn't stand to be around Derek anymore. Well, not so much Derek, but his behavior and attitude towards her. She figured having her room all the way downstairs would put some needed distance between them. She'd have her own bathroom and probably wouldn't come across him as often.

Honestly, it was the next best thing.

When she arrived home, it was bustling with noise. "Casey, dear," she heard her mom say from the living, coming towards her. She hugged her warmly, Nora pulled away when she noticed her daughter's grim face.

"I need a favor, mom," she started, not wanting to waste time.

"All right, sure. Is something wrong?" she asked in concern.

"No, I'm fine… I just need a favor," she said, not quite knowing how to explain.

"Okay…" her mother nodded, motioning for her to sit at the dining table.

"I was hoping I can tell you and George at the same time," Casey admitted, not wanting to repeat herself twice.

"Oh… George, honey, can you come here for a few seconds please," Nora called out. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked again, her face further contorting into frown. Casey nodded calmly.

"You'll see, it's not a big thing," she reassured. When George sat down next to Nora, Casey dove right in.

"I was wondering if I could move in the basement bedroom," she said unflinchingly. "You guys can take my room. I know we made such a big deal out of it when we moved in, but I really think it'd be the best place for me to be in right now."

Nora and George exchanged looks, surprised but not incredulous.

"Well…" Nora started. "I'm sure we can work something out, I guess," she said, looking back and forth between George and Casey. They both nodded.

"But if you don't mind me asking," George said hesitantly. "What's wrong with your room?"

Casey smiled apologetically. "I love your family, I really do. I don't say it very often… but you guys have become a big part of me. But I just don't know if I can tolerate Derek anymore," she confessed quietly.

Nora and George once again exchanged looks.

"I've tried… but I need a bit of peace of mind. It doesn't need to be permanent…" Casey rambled.

"Casey–" Nora interrupted. "We understand, we didn't expect you guys to simply get along. It could be worse, I guess

It didn't take long before they finalized their decision. Casey was glad to hear that they were going to start packing today and finish all the moving tomorrow, before the week started.

Casey sighed in relief. She allowed herself a small smile at the prospect of being all on her own in the basement. No more loud annoying music, no more sudden interruptions, no more fighting over the bathroom.

And _much less_ Derek.

0

**Author's Post-Note**: There you go my friends, the second chapter! How do you think Derek will react?! suspense music I'll be tentative and say that it should take about a week for the next chapter… but no promises S I'll try my best

I thought I'd tell you guys that I was initially inspired by a verse of John Mayer's "Daughters" and that I stole my title from one of the lines P. If you haven't heard it yet, you seriously need to!

"_I know a girl  
She puts the color inside of my world  
but she's just like a maze  
Where all of the walls all continually change."_

_-_Daughters, John Mayer

6


	3. Changes

**Author's Pre-Note**: Allrighty, dear friends, the third installment. I didn't like my second chapter so hopefully this'll be a bit better! Enjoy : )

0

_Chapter 3  
_**Changes**

The house was messy when Derek arrived home. Boxes were strewn here and there, and occasional pieces of furniture were obstructing the way. Derek frowned, thinking there might just be something he was unaware of.

"Dad," he called, spotting his father making his way to the basement. George turned around and approached.

"Sorry 'bout the mess," he said. "Nora and I are switching rooms with Casey. Mind helping me with a box? I'm getting old here."

"You're switching rooms?" Derek asked in surprise, missing the second part of what his dad had said.

"Yes. She wanted a change," he explained. There was a bit of bitterness in his voice, but let it slide. His dad was probably just tired from moving all the stuff.

"All right," Derek said warily. "A change?" he thought dubiously. "We had a freakin' _showdown_ about that room." Realizing that maybe he was partly to blame, he made his way to Casey's room.

When he got to the second floor, he noticed Lizzie and Casey piling things in boxes.

"Finally moving out?" Derek joked, but upon seeing Lizzie's appalled expression, realized it wasn't such a good idea.

"It was a joke, _geez_," he clarified, not wanting to test Casey more than he already had. Lizzie huffed, but Casey proceeded in ignoring him.

"You're really gonna take the basement room?" Derek asked, cutting straight to the chase.

"If mom and George have been sleeping there for two years, it can't be that bad," she reasoned, exiting the room with a box in hand.

Derek sighed exasperatedly. "Why are you being so stubborn about this? We argued, yeah, but we always fight. It's what we do. It's never made you make stupid decisions before." He followed her to the living room, close at her heels.

"Go away, Derek," she said simply.

"Ah," he cried out in frustration, roughly rubbing his palms over his face. "Why do you have to be so difficult?" He grabbed her arm to stop her from going back up.

"I'm sorry, okay," Derek finally said, surprisingly sincere. He hadn't meant to hurt her.

"For what, Derek? Being a colossal jackass?" she bellowed, wrenching her arm out of his grasp. "'Cause you'll have to do better than that."

She dashed back to her room before he was able to say anything else.

So it _was_ his fault.

0

Casey avoided him the next day too, and was planning on doing the very same thing the days after that. But moving the furniture on her own was proving to be more difficult than she had thought.

She was surprised to hear a knock on her door, knowing she had left it open. It was Derek.

"Dad told me you might need help. He's clearly unaware that you're not too happy with me," he admitted, walking inside the room. It was pretty early, making her wonder why he was even up.

"It's 10 o'clock," she stated.

"Yes, I know," Derek answered, smiling. "I have practice in an hour."

He walked to the dresser she was attempting to slide across the room and stood at one side.

"I can just wait for mom and George to finish with their room so they can help with mine," she said obstinately.

"Don't be stubborn, Case. Just accept the help, okay," Derek sighed. He waited for her to take the other side.

"Fine," she relented as she finally took it. There was no point in arguing with him. He was right, she was being stubborn. This would get the job done faster anyway.

They carried the dresser down the stairs without exchanging words and paused in the living room. George and Nora had just arrived with their own dresser too.

"I say we bring everything to the living room then bring them to their respective rooms," George suggested good-naturedly.

"Seems okay," Casey agreed tiredly. _All_ this just to get away from Derek. He was starting to make her regret her decision. He had been nothing but apologetic since yesterday. What's worse is that she actually thought he was being sincere, especially with the way he was looking at her now.

"I don't have much time left, so we should try and hurry to get everything settled," he said, probably noticing she had caught him staring.

She scrutinized him as he darted back upstairs. She followed him at a slower pace, contemplating the reasons why he was acting so strange.

When she reached her bedroom, she closed the door behind her. Derek's eyes widened.

"What's up with you?" she asked, tapping her foot restlessly. Derek's eyes darkened.

"I apologized," he explained moodily. "I don't know what else you want from me."

"You can't be serious," Casey retorted. "Some consideration would be nice."

"What's that suppose to mean? I get it, _okay_? I said some mean things, I get it and _I'm sorry_," he rebutted. Casey shook her head.

"You _don't_ get it," Casey shot back, getting angry. "The moment you met me you've proceeded in making my life a living hell."

"It might have started out that way…" he admitted.

"And it's stopped, Derek?" she riposted, not letting him finish. She shook her head, not wanting to fight anymore.

"It's not like before…" he added quietly.

"Maybe not," she conceded, matching his tone. "Let's just get this done, please?"

He shot her another strange look, but soon caved in, picking up the side of her demolished bed. They maneuvered their way out of the room with great difficulty. With the occasional glances and grunts from Derek, they worked mostly in silence.

When they got all the furniture to their rightful rooms, Casey fell back on the couch in exhaustion. Derek stretched and bid everyone farewell, barely sparing her a glance.

"Thank you," Casey yelled as he left the room. He waved his hand in acknowledgement and hastily walked out the house. It was then that she noticed it was almost 11:30, which meant that Derek was half and hour late. He hadn't mentioned a thing.

'Seriously, what was he playing at?' she thought desolately. 'Was he trying to make her feel bad for not accepting his apology?' He was trying really hard anyway. The last two fights were precisely about him apologizing. She closed her eyes, hoping she hadn't made any rash decisions.

If anything, change can be good.

0

**Author's Post-Note**: I'm finally going to start writing the Derek/Casey dynamic _I like _in the next chapter. It gets interesting after this, I promise. Bash me if it doesn't.

**Post-Note 2**: You guys have been so nice! I tried to get back to everyone who commented but I might have missed someone, and I apologize if I did. Anyways, you guys are great! Thank you so much for reading XD


	4. Things that Go Bumping in the Night

**Author's Pre-Note: **Long chappy today…

0

_Chapter 4  
_**Things that Go Bumping in the Night**

'That was brutal,' Derek thought tiredly as he followed Sam into the locker rooms.

"You okay, dude?" his friend asked. "You were somewhere else today."

"It's been a long weekend," Derek said, rubbing his aching neck. "I think I might have pushed Casey too far."

"What'd you do?" Sam asked, probably wondering what his latest prank was and how bad it must have been to have honestly 'pushed Casey too far'.

"Nothing big… I just think it might have been the wrong time to be a jerk," he revealed. He had realized the night before that being mean to Casey when she had so many commitments and responsibilities on her shoulders was a _bad_ idea.

"Isn't she planning that community fair?" Sam asked, untying his skates.

"Yeah, she started writing all her papers and shit too. She's really gonna drive herself to the ground one day," Derek said, shaking his head. He sat on the bench beside Sam.

"I kept telling her that when we were together," Sam said. "Never listened," he muttered, earning himself a chuckle from Derek.

"That's Casey for you, man," he laughed, recognizing Casey's inexorable stubbornness from a mile away.

"So what," Sam said conversationally. "She's ignoring you now?"

"Not quite," he answered, not really knowing how to describe the situation. All he knew was that she was really upset with him, enough to put a floor between them at least. "She moved out of her room."

"What do you mean?" Sam questioned, momentarily frozen in place.

"She's in the basement now," Derek explained.

"Didn't you guys have a huge stupid fight over that two years ago?" His friend looked completely bewildered.

"_Yes_," he said exasperatedly.

"Man, she must be _really_ pissed."

"Tell me about it… and I apologized, _twice_," Derek heaved a sigh.

"Wow, dude, this is the fourth time you've shown remorse since I've known you… and the third time about something regarding Casey," Sam teased. Derek shoved him roughly.

"Shut up, this is bad. It's not like I did anything out of the ordinary." Sam just shrugged.

"Maybe it was the straw that broke the camel's back," he said matter-of-factly.

"The what?" Derek raised his eyebrows, completely missing what his best-friend was trying to tell him.

"It means she probably got fed up, dude. You're kinda always mean to her," Sam clarified, grabbing his things to hit the showers, Derek close at his heels.

"_I am not_," Derek rebuffed.

"Do I seriously need to go over this with you?" Sam snapped, clearly annoyed. "Just don't be so mean to her."

0

"Sarah," Casey heard George saying as he opened the door. "How are you?"

"Oh good, good. You?" she said politely, smiling.

"Ah, not too bad," George shrugged.

"Have you told Casey I was coming?" she asked as she entered. She spotted her and grinned.

"He has," Casey said, approaching Mrs. Moore. She moved to hug her. Friday seemed to have sealed some kind of friendship between them. They talked and Casey ended up pouring her frustrations out. Moving into the basement was Sarah's idea.

"I would have called, but I felt this was more of a face-to-face kind of thing," she said jovially. Casey knew Sarah had come to tell her something; as to what it is, she had no idea. Sarah's enthusiasm was piquing her curiosity.

They walked to the dining table, Casey motioning Sarah to take a seat. George was hanging back, watching them with trepidation. Sensing his confusion, Casey piped in.

"I ran into Mrs. Moore on Friday night, and we had dinner."

"Oh," George said simply.

"She's as bright as you described her," she beamed. Casey wasn't sure if Sarah was just coating it or if she was telling the truth. Either way, Casey was flattered, both by Sarah's blatant approval and her step-dad's impression of her.

He nodded, looking slightly embarrassed but didn't deny anything. "Sarah has been working with me for the past five years, and she's probably the best lawyer in the firm."

Sarah waved her hand in dismissal. She _was_ fairly young.

"You're too modest," George added. Sarah smiled shyly and thanked him.

"_Anyway_," she said eagerly. "My proposal!"

"Am I meant to stay?" George asked with hesitation. Sarah sent Casey an inquiring look.

"Did you do what I suggested?" she whispered to Casey.

"I have," Casey laughed. "It's officially going to be my third night in the basement."

"How is it?" Sarah wondered excitedly.

"Well, it hasn't been long enough, but so far… lots of loud crickets but you eventually learn to drown them out," Casey disclosed, making her guest laugh heartily.

"You suggested she move out of her room?" George questioned suddenly.

"I did," she retorted proudly. "The poor girl was suffering."

"Oh… well, I knew that. I'm just surprised that you know about this at all," George confessed.

"I'm a nosy person, sorry," Sarah said casually. That was a lie. Sarah had been anything but pushy. She winked at Casey.

"I was pressured," Casey joked. It was then that Marty came running in, Derek close at her heels. The little girl squealed at the sight of their guest.

"Sarah!" Marty cried out happily, wrapping her arms around Sarah's neck.

"Hey kid, I haven't seen you come around lately," she said, gladly returning the young girl's affection.

"I've been busy!" Marty replied sternly, causing everyone is the room to laugh.

"I'm sure," she managed to get out, finally acknowledging Derek's presence.

"Long time no see, Mrs. M," he said demurely.

"I've been busy," she answered, imitating Marty's tone. Derek smirked. "Now don't be a stranger," she stood up and opened her arms.

Derek rolled his eyes, but easily gave in.

"Okay, I'm too impatient," she declared after breaking apart from Derek. She turned back to Casey and taking back her seat.

"I've gathered that," Casey chuckled.

Sarah leaned forward. "I have _another_ suggestion."

"All right," Casey uttered warily.

"Jack and I were talking yesterday and we were thinking… we've been wanting to rent out our basement for a while, but we never got the guts to do it. It's just too weird, you know? Having some stranger in my house does _not_ feel like an investment to _me_… even if it is a separate part of the house.

"We want to test-drive it at least, just to see what it'd be like first," Sarah continued, gauging Casey's reaction. "See where I'm getting at?"

Unsure of what to make out of this offer, she knew she still wasn't ready to move completely out of the house. She probably wouldn't be able to afford it either.

"That's very nice of you Sarah, but I don't even think I can pay rent."

"Oh, no! No! It's a _trial_ of sorts, you wouldn't have to pay anything," she clarified giddily.

"That's really generous…" Casey said, honestly appreciative of Mrs. Moore's offer. She looked around appraisingly, realizing that Derek and George were still in the room, similar frowns playing on their faces.

"But I don't know," Casey started. "I'm not quite ready to do _that_ yet."

Sarah nodded in understanding. "It's fine. We're not going to rent it out any time soon, so if you change your mind," she finished, smiling invitingly. She stood up, clearly ready to leave.

Casey got up too, ready to walk her to door, when she noticed George's deeply puckered brow; he looked hurt.

Sarah bid them farewell, oblivious to their sudden mood change and waited for Casey to follow her. She pulled Casey along with her when she reached the porch.

"Though the offer still stands, I _do_ remember you telling me you weren't planning on moving out of the house anytime soon. And though I was hoping, I wasn't really expecting you to just accept my offer," she confessed with a smile. "But I'd much rather have you come to us than wander around alone in the streets alone at night."

"Got it," Casey agreed. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," she said sincerely, hugging Casey goodbye. "I still expect you to come baby-sit Amy some time soon, though," she yelled from her car.

When she finally entered back into the house, she heard George and Derek arguing in the kitchen.

"…what the hell you did, Derek, but you _better_ fix it," she heard George yell angrily.

"What are you accusing _me_ for?" Derek retorted, sounding affronted.

"Don't give me that," George snapped. By then, Casey had reached the kitchen doorway.

"I'm not moving out," she interrupted. "And I'm not planning too. I was having a bad day on Friday, that's _all_. I like it here." She tried to reassure George with a smile.

"It's just sometimes, it gets too much to handle," she continued, shooting Derek a deliberate glare. "But I don't want to move out." This seemed to be enough for George as he shook his head in acceptance and promptly left the room.

0

Something was shaking him and he vaguely heard someone calling out his name.

"Derek," the soft voice repeated. He stirred, carefully trapped in between wakefulness and his slumber.

"Derek," she said again, causing his eyes to open.

It was Casey. He groaned, not sure if this was an absurdly real-feeling dream or if she was really there.

"Derek, get up, please," she pleaded in a mildly frightened whisper.

He rubbed his eyes, but sat up anyway.

"What's wrong, Casey?" he said through a yawn, his voice still groggy from sleep.

"There's a weird noise outside my window," she said quietly. He assessed her; she was fidgeting with her hands nervously.

"Well, what'd you expect," he sighed. "You're in the basement, Case." He fell back on the bed.

"Derek," she whined. "I think there's someone outside my window."

That woke him up. "Did you see someone?"

"No, I just heard incessant tapping on the window," she whispered. He dimly wondered why she had to come to _him_ with this.

"It's probably an animal," he mumbled, burrowing back onto the bed.

"What if it's not?" she said softly, undeterred by his words. "Please, Derek."

"Fine," he muttered tiredly, getting up. "_Don't be so mean to her_," echoed in his head.

When they reached the basement, Casey hung back near the door.

"Are you serious?" he teased, nearing the window.

"What if it ends up being someone?" she said skeptically.

"What if it is? What are they going to do to you through a window?" Derek reasoned, facing her instead of the window.

"I don't know!" she exclaimed. "He could be holding a gun and I'd have no choice but to let him in!"

Derek burst out laughing but promptly stopped when Casey's frown deepened.

"Come on, this is _Ontario_, in the _suburbs_," he reassured, approaching her. "I've been living in this house for long enough to tell you that the chances of that happening are close to nil," he finished as he shoved her shoulder playfully. She seemed to have relaxed a bit.

"Alright, stay here if you want. I'll check it out."

He could hear the tapping Casey had described and had to admit that it _did_ sound like a deliberate sound. He told Casey to close the lights and slowly opened the blinds. He smiled when he discovered it was a squirrel.

He had the mild urge to pretend like it was more threatening than it really was, but decided against it. He opened the blinds further and revealed the offending creature.

"Thank god," he heard her breathe out. Derek banged lightly on the window and shooed the rodent away.

"How long have you been awake?" Derek asked curiously, noticing her weary countenance.

"An hour, maybe," she said reluctantly, sitting on her bed. He shook his head and sat beside her. He rested his elbows on his knees and exhaled noisily.

"Don't wait that long next time," he said sincerely. She looked taken aback but nodded in acceptance.

"I'm sorry, Derek," she said quietly as he was making his way out. He turned to face her, not exactly sure what she was apologizing for, only to see her steadily staring at the ground. He watched with raised eyebrows when she got up and approached him.

"You're forgiven," she added, finally looking him up in the eye. Caught off guard, Derek merely shook his head in acknowledgement.

She stretched her hand out. "Peace?" A shy smile was playing at her lips. He took her hand and pulled her closer.

"You're not going to move out?" he asked softly, keeping her hand in his.

"No," she said firmly.

"Not even if I become _too much to handle_?" he added with a smirk.

"Not even if you drive me up the walls," she responded, returning his smirk. "I'm not easy to get rid of."

"Good," he said without pause.

"Goodnight Derek," she said through a grin, letting go of his hand.

"Goodnight Casey."

She smiled mysteriously and turned back to her bed. He watched her re-close the blinds and quickly ran back up before she caught him staring.

Maybe Sam was on to something after all.

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**Author's Post-Note** : Okay, so there's _finally_ a shift between our two _oblivious_ heroes. This is where things get interesting XD. Tell me what you liked, tell me what you didn't!!

EDITED - Thanks for the people who gave me the right expression!  
I changed it now, thank you again!!


	5. Venturi at your Service

**Author's Pre-Note**: It's another long one guys : )!! The funny thing about this chapter is that I wrote most of it before the previous one! Things are changing between Derek and Casey; they seemed to have reached some kind of unspoken agreement. What happens now?

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_Chapter 5  
_**Venturi at your Service**

"I really don't think you should go, honey," Nora persisted, patting her daughter's shoulder.

"But mom…," she moaned, rubbing her palms tiredly over her eyes. "I've been working on this for so long. The whole family is going because of me… and I'm not showing up?"

She sneezed violently, cursing her bad state. She _hated_ being sick.

"I'm sure we'll forgive you," her mother teased. "It'll be fine, Case. I'll take your stand there. I don't mind, it's only for a few hours anyway. And George will be there to keep me company."

Casey sighed. She'd collapse if she went anywhere near kids, let alone a kid's_ fair_ where she had to host an activity.

"All my work–"she sulked.

"–isn't gonna go to waste just because you can't make it today. Come on, Casey, don't be stubborn. How about we make a deal," Nora suggested helpfully. "Why don't you go for an hour–_and only an hour_–and go back home and rest. The house should be quiet by then."

Casey smiled, appreciating her mother's efforts.

"Who's going to bring me back?" she asked reluctantly.

"Well, I doubt Derek will want to stay for long, so he can just bring you back and keep the car for the day," her mother said tentatively.

It seemed like a pretty sweet deal for Derek: spend less time at a fundraising fair he was forced to attend _and_ get the car for the day, and all that for taking her home.

"Oh, alright, but I'm not happy about this" Casey conceded, resting her head on the kitchen counter. She felt her mother softly stroking her hair.

"Derek!" Nora said suddenly, making Casey's head lift up. Her eyes were teary and bloodshot, effectively making Derek laugh.

"Shut up," she grumbled, pouting. Derek continued laughing and took the seat right beside her.

"Aaaww, is poor Casey sick?" he teased, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Hmmhmph," she mumbled, pressing her head back on the counter.

"Does this mean we don't have to go to the fair?" Derek asked as he helped himself to some bacon.

"_No_," Nora admonished sternly. "It means Casey isn't."

Derek chuckled. "And she accepted?"

"No," Casey muttered.

"Yes," her mother corrected, earning herself another growl. "This is where you come in."

"I come in?" Derek said through a mouthful of food.

"You're gonna take my car there and drive Casey back home after an hour," she explained, looking at him warningly. "We'll take your father's car and stay for the day."

"I see, I see," Derek said, nodding his head in mock-reflection.

"And no, you don't need to come back," Nora added knowingly.

"Awesome! I can go buy my CD now," Derek said happily. "I'll take good care of you, Case."

She couldn't help herself but smile at his enthusiasm. Ever since their truce, Derek had been particularly friendly with her. He had been rambling on about the limited edition album of his favorite band for the past week. It was going on sale that day and was bound to finish soon. Of course, it's not like she had forced _him_ to come in the first place, just the rest of the family.

By then, everyone else had come back from their short drugstore run and gathered in the kitchen.

"Ready?" George said excitedly.

"Well, there's a change of plans," Derek declared cheerfully. George gave him a warning look, but Derek didn't falter. George was still sore with Derek. "It was Nora's idea, not mine!"

Nora nodded.

"Genius here is sick," he revealed, bumping Casey gently on the shoulder. She turned to look at them, knowing one look at her would confirm it.

"Whoa, how'd you get sick so fast," Lizzie asked in surprise. "You looked fine yesterday."

"I don't know," Casey muttered, standing up. "I'm gonna go get my bag so we can leave," she continued hastily. She quickly dodged their inquiring looks and trudged down the stairs. Unfortunately, she didn't hear someone closely following her.

When she turned around to leave her room, she saw Derek standing and smirking near the heater. She sighed.

"Fine, the heater jammed… I didn't know how to fix it, all right?" she said exasperatedly. Derek's grin only widened, making Casey roll her eyes. She was trying hard not to smile. The basement bedroom was proving to be much more difficult to live in than she had expected.

"You could have asked," Derek said self-importantly. He tapped the heater twice on the top, placed it on a good temperature and grinned.

"It was 1 am," Casey defended.

"It hasn't stopped you before," Derek retorted daringly. Casey narrowed her eyes.

"I had a valid reason for that!"

"Yeah, you were scared a squirrel was going to molest you," Derek joked through his laughter. "'Cause that's what they do."

Casey sent him a glare, but it was half-hearted. The situation had been kind of funny now that she thought about it.

"Shut up, Derek," she said, a smile tugging at her lips. She shoved past him and was followed by his low chuckle up the stairs. Everyone was waiting for them in the living room.

"Urg," Casey grunted when George opened the door. "It's so cold."

"Well, obviously. You call that a jacket?" Derek said from behind her, gesturing to her pretty long coat.

"You're not wearing anything better. You're wearing a sweater!" she argued heatedly.

"Ah, there's a vital fact you are missing here," Derek said, waggling his fingers.

"What, that you're not sick?" Casey answered, knowing that it didn't change that fact that it was _still_ cold.

"No," Derek said matter-of-factly. "I'm a _man_."

"You're not a man!" Marty cried out of nowhere, pointing a finger at her oldest brother. "Casey told me you were an evolved monkey."

Casey burst out laughing and quietly reminded herself to treat Marty later. Derek's expression was priceless. They had reached the car by then and had somehow separated into two groups: Derek, Casey and Marty in one, taking Nora's car, and the rest in George's.

"And you believed her?" Derek asked incredulously. He waited until Marty was well buckled in the back before taking the driver's seat. Casey sat beside him, an amused expression on her face.

"I can't believe she remembered me telling her that," Casey said, more to herself than anyone.

"And I can't believe you called me a _monkey_," Derek repeated, turning in his seat to look at Marty who had her arms crossed in obstinacy. "I'm _all_ man," he continued, puffing his chest out. Casey knew it was for Marty's benefit, seeing as the little girl laughed at her brother's silly antics.

"Derek, _the man_," Casey finally cut in. "Can we go already? Everyone else is already gone."

She shook her head in disbelief when Derek smirked, knowing she had inadvertently complimented him by adding the 'the' before 'man'.

"You see Marty," Derek said, driving out of the parkway. "Casey said it, not me. I'm _the _man." He shot Casey another smug look before turning his eyes back on the road. She rolled her eyes. That was so typical of Derek.

The drive took about 10 minutes, but it wasn't enough time to assuage the mounting dread she felt at being around so much noise and commotion.

Her head was already pounding and her nose hadn't stopped running since that morning.

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Casey looked like she was struggling for her life. She was chasing around a kid who had stolen her throwing balls. She kept sniffing and Derek could have sworn she was on the verge of giving up.

The said troublemaker was just about to exit the room when Derek blocked his path.

"Gimme the ball, kiddo," Derek said casually, keeping an arm stretched out and ready in case the boy tried to escape again. Looking frightened, he handed Derek the ball.

"Good boy," Derek patted him on the head. "Now disappear." The kid couldn't have been more than eight years old.

Derek saw Casey approach and grinned. "Having a tough time?"

"No," she snapped. He raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Maybe," she sighed when he gave her back the stolen toys. He followed her back to her stand and winced when she sneezed loudly. She blew her nose and crossed her arms. Her eyes were as teary and bloodshot, if not more so, as they had been in the morning.

"You okay?" He sat on the edge of her stand's counter, watching her intently. She nodded but was betrayed when she shivered violently.

"Liar," he shrugged out of his sweater and handed it to her. She looked at him suspiciously but didn't refuse the shirt.

"You just want to leave," she mumbled. Derek laughed quietly when Casey effortlessly slipped into the sweater.

"You're right." He _did_ have better things to do than stick around here, but it honestly wasn't the reason why he offered his jumper. He was surprised to realize it was because he was _concerned_. Of course, he wasn't ready to admit that out loud yet.

'Damn,' he cursed inwardly. Casey was really doing a number on him. Strangely, he found he didn't mind all that much.

"Not going to catch pneumonia on me now?" Derek joked, snatching the ball from her hand. She rolled her eyes.

"Jackass," she said in a barely audible voice, though the corner of her lips was tugging upwards.

"Tsk, tsk, McDonald. I do believe that is strike two." He threw the ball back at her. "First you call me a monkey, and now a jackass."

Casey covered her face in what he assumed was shame and guilt. "That was like 5 months ago. I didn't expect her to _remember_," Casey said through her sleeve-covered palms.

"Well, you _did_ say evolved," Derek added in a sardonic tone that earned him a ball to the chest. His heady laughter was interrupted by a loud squeal.

"CASEY!" cried a little girl who looked vaguely familiar. She wrapped her arms around Casey's waist and squeezed tight. Mrs. Moore was close behind.

"Hey Amy," Casey said, returning the enthusiastic hug, but quickly breaking away. "I'm a bit sick." Derek snorted. Casey shot him a glare, but swiftly turned to greet Mrs. Moore.

Derek and Sarah exchanged banalities, but it didn't go any further than that. He stood there for five minutes, completely oblivious to their conversation. He still couldn't believe Sarah had offered Casey a place to stay. 'They spend one evening together and suddenly they're best friends?' he thought irately. Then again, Derek always knew she was the friendly type. And he was pretty sure she was a hippie at heart, especially if her parents had anything to do with it. The elder Moores were your typical peace-loving, drug-knowing and freedom-fighting hippies.

"You should go home," he heard Sarah say. He had to fight to keep his scowl masked.

"Actually, we're leaving soon," Casey answered, glancing Derek's way. He nodded in agreement.

"Need a ride?" Sarah asked politely.

"No, it's fine. Thank you. Venturi here has the honors of driving me back," she answered with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Venturi at your service, m'am." He stood upright and gracefully bowed.

Casey, getting into character, crossed her legs in her own feminine bow. "Thank you, sir."

"Well, I'm glad you guys are getting along," Sarah said enthusiastically, interrupting their moment. Derek had to turn his face to hide his obvious scowl.

"We've made a truce," Casey admitted, walking close to Derek in order to stand next to him. Sarah simply smiled and gestured for her daughter to follow her.

"Well, I hope you get better," she waved goodbye. "Take good care of her, Derek."

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**Author's Post-Note**: Like, not like? I hope the shift in the characters wasn't too abrupt…


	6. Chicken Soup and Complications

**Author's Pre-Note**: Derek and Casey are spending time together… is something brewing?

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_Chapter 6_**  
Chicken Soup and Complications**

"You're supposed to wait 'til the water boils," Casey laughed as she stopped him from putting the pasta in the pot.

"What difference does it make?" he asked inquisitively.

"It won't cook properly, that's the difference." She took the spatula and started stirring the soup brewing in the casserole beside it. She was abruptly shoved aside by Derek.

"And you're suppose to be resting," he said tersely. He took the spoon from her hands and continued what she was doing. She leaned back on the counter and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, 'cause stirring takes so much energy."

"It's the principle," he justified, making her laugh again. When her laughter died down, she looked up at him, a mischievous twinkle appearing in her eyes.

"Alright, _Derek_. Don't forget to add just a pinch of salt ten minutes into the boiling," she started snootily. "Then add the green spices, then the red ones. Don't mess the order up 'cause it ruins the taste. Leave it boiling for another minute or so, and add a bit of pepper at the end."

She quickly swished out of the room, trying to contain her laughter at Derek's bewildered expression.

"It's _soup_," he yelled disbelievingly from the kitchen.

"Still requires cooking," she said evenly, loud enough for him to hear. She sat on the couch and opened the TV. Fifteen minutes later, she was broken out of her _Entourage _daze.

"I'm not serving you," he said from the other room. She rolled her eyes. He'd cook for her, but he won't serve her. '_Principle alright_,' she thought in amusement. She made it to the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of him eating delightedly on the kitchen counter.

"Hungry, much?" she commented as she poured herself a bowl of soup.

"That's all you're eating?" he said instead of answering her question. Her eyebrow quirked.

"Unlike you, I'm not that hungry," she retorted.

"Didn't you eat like five hours ago?" He was in the middle of chewing. She grimaced at the gross display.

"Honestly, Derek, finish chewing," she admonished. Fortunately for her, he swallowed his food and repeated the question.

"Yes, but I'm not hungry." She sipped slowly on her soup, oblivious to Derek's incredulous stare until a minute later.

"What?" She felt unreasonably self-conscious at his intent look.

"You're still going to eat," he said firmly, stuffing food in his mouth once again. She gaped at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Just eat a little pasta, alright?" he said pleadingly, obviously trying to keep the conversation civil.

"Why are you insisting?" she questioned curiously.

"Look, the last time you got a fever, you kept skipping your meals and ended up fainting," he explained quickly.

"Oh." That was at least a year and a half ago. She couldn't believe he actually remembered. "You remember that?"

"_Of course_. Ever since then, Nora has been on everyone's back whenever they get sick. Watching over us, making sure we're _always_ eating," he said disparagingly. "I must admit, though… the special attention was kinda nice." She rolled her eyes at that.

"Eggs and bacon every morning," he mused dreamily. "Extra servings if we pleased…"

"I get it," she interjected. She really hadn't liked her mother playing the role of the 50's housewife. That one time it happened, it had shaken her to the core.

"So you're gonna eat?" he said, breaking the silence. She sighed exasperatedly but stood up to fill herself a plate. Her stomach jittered when he sent her a toothy grin. She only filled half her plate and was surprised to see that she ate it all.

"I'm going to listen to my CD now," he declared happily, rubbing his palms together in excitement. His enthusiasm at the music store had greatly amused her. It was so innocent and boyish.

She cleaned their dirty dishes and made her way downstairs soon afterwards. She took her book and settled comfortably on the bed. It was completely quiet, even if she was well aware Derek was listening to his latest purchase. She stayed in much the same position for the next hour or so.

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When Derek finished the album, he had a goofy smile etched on his face. _Incubus_ never ceased to amaze him. He looked around, trying to find something else to do. The house was amazingly quiet. He decided to go bug Casey. He reached her room and knocked loudly on her door.

"Come in," she said, putting her book down and stretching languidly.

"So I was thinking," he said, trying to keep his eyes from wandering to places he shouldn't be looking. He sat at her desk chair.

"I'm bored," he said frankly, making Casey laugh.

"Did you expect me to entertain you?" She sat on the edge of her bed and faced him. Her eyes were a bit dazed. Derek figured it was because she had been reading for so long. And probably because she was sick.

"Like you could," he scoffed matter-of-factly. He then noticed his acoustic guitar was leaning against the corner of her wall. "What's my guitar doing here?" He looked back at her and had to laugh at her deer-caught-in-the-headlights look. She relaxed at his reaction.

"I wanted to try something out," she explained sheepishly.

"Try what out?" He was genuinely curious. He knew she was vaguely capable of handling an instrument.

"Oh, um, a song," she mumbled quietly. He stood, grabbed the guitar and handed it to her. Her eyes widened.

"Show me." He grinned roguishly.

She hesitantly took the instrument from his hands. "No laughing. I tried." He put his hands up in the air as a compliant gesture. She started playing, making mistakes here and there, but well enough. The song seemed familiar, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. She was about to sing when she stopped.

"There," she handed him back the guitar. "Thanks for not getting angry."

"Wait, you were gonna sing," he persisted, intent on hearing what she had learned. "And you didn't even play it all."

"Derek," she whined.

"I said I wanted entertainment," he maintained cheekily. "Come on, I won't laugh, I promise." She glared at him but complied nonetheless. She started strumming and in no time, he was able to identify the song. Casey's voice rang softly in the room. He watched her as she sang it with intensity and fervor.

And it wasn't a particularly easy song to learn either. He realized it must have taken her weeks, maybe months, to get it right. He dimly wondered how she had smuggled his guitar without his noticing all this time. When she finished, she looked up at him.

"_No_, I haven't been practicing with your guitar. Trevor lent me his for a while, but he needed it this week." She tended to see right through him nowadays.

"That was great, Casey," he said sincerely. He always knew Casey had a nice voice, but it sounded so much better when it wasn't integrated in some pop number. The acoustic guitar fit her really well. She thanked him, looking thrown back by his earnestness.

He finally took the guitar back from her and showed her how to properly play a part she had butchered. She fell back on her bed in exasperation.

"Not today… too tired."

She wasn't too tired to rant about how Mrs. Tappleton gave her detention for doodling in class, though. He laughed for five minutes straight. He was in mid-mock when they heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it," he said, chuckling heartily all the way up. He only realized she had followed him after he opened the door.

"Tell me that's not fair," she persisted, vaguely greeting the rest of the family. "She was doing revision."

"Well, Tappleton _is_ brutal," he reasoned, ushering her out of the cold's way.

"How do you do it?"

"How do I do what?" He sat on his recliner, generally amused by Casey's situation.

"Not get detention when you deserve it." She sat on the edge of the couch, waiting impatiently for his answer.

"My charm," he said smugly. Casey made a show of rolling her eyes.

"What do you want me to tell you? If it really bothers you, go talk to her," he said evenly. He just happened to be a lucky person. And it wasn't like he _never_ got detention.

"So she can eat me alive? I don't think so," she huffed determinedly.

"Now Casey, it's not funny to mock a teacher for their weight," he mock-admonished, loud enough for everyone to hear him. She threw him a pillow.

"Shut up," she snapped.

"How could you be so mean, Casey?" Edwin chirped in, sitting beside her and opening the TV.

"Yeah, Casey." Derek smirked impishly. She shook her head in defeat and left for the kitchen. He had to stop himself from staring after her. He avoided her the rest of the day, hesitant of his new feelings. Casey was causing the strangest emotions in him lately, and he wasn't sure how he felt about _that_.

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Casey woke up feeling tired and sluggish. She groaned when she realized it was one am. She felt her stomach rumble and laughed when she remembered that she had eaten very little at dinner. She slowly got up and decided she might as well get something to eat.

Walking up the stairs instead of her usual downwards path was proving to be a hassle considering the time of day. She wasted no time when she reached the kitchen and poured herself some leftover soup. She cringed at the loud sound of the microwave.

Halfway through the soup, she heard rustling sounds from outside the kitchen. She craned her neck and saw Derek emerge from the dark hallway.

"Got hungry?" he said, rubbing his palms over his eyes in sleepiness.

She nodded. "You?"

"Thirsty." Her eyes followed him as he opened the cupboard for a cup and filled it with water. She couldn't help but notice how his muscles stretched under his white tee. Her eyes wandered lower.

"Like what you see?" Derek said audaciously, having caught her.

She blushed and thanked God that it was relatively dark.

"I was just surprised you're wearing the nightshirt my mom got you," she tried, sounding pretty convincing.

"Right," he responded, clearly not believing her. She finished her soup and tried to look as casual as possible. She moved to put her plate in the sink when Derek stepped closer.

"The feeling is mutual, you know," he whispered, his gaze falling on her lips. She was frozen in place. Before he was able to do anything else, she hastily dashed out of the room, bowl still in hand.

She reached her destination not even a second later and fell back on her bed in shock. Derek was going to _kiss_ her, and she just ran away.

She grunted. "_Things just got complicated._"

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**Author's Post-Note**: That's right. Things are getting _hea-ted_. I'm not big on this chapter… I re-wrote it twice and I'm still not happy. Bah. I do hope you guys enjoyed it, though… at least a little bit crosses fingers

I know very little on instruments and musical arrangements, so pardon my mistakes. The song I had in mind when Casey was singing was 'Center of Attention' by Jackson Waters. If you haven't heard it yet, check it out, it's a great song. (I uploaded in case anyone was interested… )


	7. Dazed and Confused

_Chapter 7_

**Dazed and Confused**

It was freezing when she woke up. Her heater had jammed again. She almost didn't get out of bed, but the blaring sound of her alarm clock proved to be an annoying source of motivation. She grabbed the nearest jumper and headed for the bathroom.

When she was all ready and comfortably snuggled in a warm sweatshirt, she sleepily made her way upstairs. She was not surprised to find that the only one who was still not ready was Derek.

"Derek has the car today, right?" she asked, groaning at Nora's affirmative answer. As she was about to go wake him up from bed, he walked groggily into the kitchen.

"You know someone would think you slept two hours every night. Which I know you don't," Casey pondered wryly.

"Funny, I could say the same to you. Oh, wait, that's just how you look. _My bad_," he countered, not missing a beat.

"So we're back to fighting again," Nora sighed.

"We're not fighting," Derek insisted bringing his arm around her shoulder. In her drowsiness, she inadvertently leaned on him.

"We're not," she agreed, leaning more heavily onto his side. Did she mention that _she_ hadn't slept very well the previous night?

He didn't seem to mind her leaning because he didn't push her off even as he brought his arm back down. He grabbed a toast and splattered it with butter. Casey grimaced.

"Ew Derek, don't you wanna taste the bread?"

"Yes, but I wanna taste the butter too." He took a slow bite and accepted Nora's keys when she gave it to him.

"When does your game finish?" Nora inquired.

"Seven," he answered politely. Casey could denote a hint of nervousness in his voice but brushed it off. "You guys coming?"

Nora shook her head, but Marty and Edwin nodded.

"I'm bringing Edwin, Marty and Lizzie," George answered, finishing the last of his breakfast.

"I'm sorry, honey, but there's a city meeting I have to attend," Nora apologized, patting Derek regretfully on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," he reassured, smiling in thanks and gestured for Casey to get up. She followed him obligingly to the car. She groaned at the sharp gust of wind.

"It's so cold," she whined as she hopped into the car. She wrapped her scarf more cozily around her neck. Derek looked at her but visibly refrained from saying anything.

"Holding out on me, Derek?" she teased, wondering why he suddenly wanted to keep an insult from her.

"No," he answered casually. "I was just wondering why you were wearing my sweater." She looked down at herself and realized for the first time that morning that she had grabbed Derek's Thompson High Athletics Sweatshirt. He grinned smugly when her eyes widened.

"_Crap_… Take me back home," she demanded in haste.

"Too late, princess," he laughed, watching her face contort in dramatized anguish.

"You couldn't have told me at home?" she snapped.

"Now why would I do that?" he drawled sardonically, reaching the school's parking lot.

"Because I'll be walking around school wearing _your_ shirt…" she reasoned, hoping he would cave in for the sake of his reputation.

"Wouldn't be the first time," he persisted nonchalantly, clearly enjoying the whole debacle.

"Arg, you're so infuriating sometimes." She threw her hands up in the air.

"Look, you're comfortable aren't you?" he said exasperatedly. She faintly nodded.

"Then let's just leave it at that, alright?" He peered at her knowingly.

"Fine," she relented avoiding his determined gaze and moved out of the car. The distance to the school was spent in silence. She had to keep from muttering to herself in frustration during the whole walk.

"Are you coming to my game?" he asked, catching her by surprise. He was rubbing his neck in what Casey could have sworn was a nervous twitch. She found it strangely endearing.

"I don't know," she said stupidly. He nodded perceptively, but took a step closer.

"Maybe it'll help if you ask yourself why you're wearing my shirt," he said cheekily. With that, he left a befuddled Casey behind.

"Casey?" she heard someone call out from behind her. She turned around and saw Amanda approach her.

"You okay?" she asked tentatively, her eyebrows arched. Casey nodded hazily. "What was _that_?"

Casey shook her head in bewilderment. "_Complications_."

She spent the rest of the hour explaining it to Amanda in the back row of their first class. Needless to say that by the time lunch time rolled around, Casey couldn't ignore Derek anymore.

"So there's a hockey game tonight…" Amanda said as they parted from the Sam and Derek after spending the entire lunch break with them at the mall's food court. Amanda and Sam shared googly eyes, effectively causing both Derek and Casey to repeatedly roll their eyes the whole time. There was five minutes until lunch was over. Casey glared at her friend.

"What?"

"You practically left me _alone_ to deal with Derek for a whole hour, _you traitor_," Casey said crossly when Derek was out of earshot. She tried to keep her voice down as people filed in to get to their next class. Truth be told, it hadn't been that bad. _Still_, Derek wasn't being Mr. Subtle lately and it more than unsettled her.

"_Please_, like you didn't enjoy Derek's attention," Amanda joked lightly. "I didn't see you trying very hard when he was tickling you."

Casey blushed. _Honestly_, he had her arms locked in a firm grasp. She hadn't been able to break free. _Well_, maybe if she had put a little more effort into it… but still.

"I was defenseless!"

Her friend huffed in disbelief. "Or when you guys wrestled for the ketchup bottle," she added flippantly, a devilish smile quickly forming on her lips. "You guys are a grope-fest waiting to happen."

"Shut up."

"Denial isn't your best suit, Case," Amanda continued deprecatingly as they entered the classroom.

"Ark, you sound just like Derek," she mumbled, taking a seat in the middle-row.

"I would." Amanda's smirk intensified. Casey scowled in response. "And you know what's worse?"

Casey shot her an incensed look but it didn't dissuade her friend. "He's already accepted the inevitable while you're still basking in your _spinelessness_."

"I have spine!" she cried, astounded at Amanda's impudent accusations. It was then the bell rang, signaling the start of class.

"Then have you temporarily lost it?" she whispered tauntingly.

Casey shot her another glare, but soon refocused her attention on the teacher. She'd go to the game tonight. She had a point to prove.

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"Was that really necessary, Derek?" Casey repeated as she dabbed the liquid goo around his injured eye.

"_Yes_," he said, feeling the residue feelings of anger melt away at her soothing touch.

She shook her head in vexation. "You're too proud." She couldn't mask, however, the slight fondness in her tone.

"That's not a bad thing," he asserted, noticing for the first time the almost invisible freckles on her nose. He was about to count them when she suddenly stopped.

"_It's a stupid_ _game_," she cried incredulously.

"He was playing dirty, Case. Hockey might be violent but it still has rules," he trailed off in frustration, not wanting to get too worked up. If Casey was a bit more hockey-savvy, she'd probably be more understanding. He was surprised she even showed up.

"So you just had to challenge him _cave-man_ style?" Casey proceeded in applying the cream even if he was pretty sure he didn't need any anymore.

He smiled at her choice of words. "He was asking for it."

"Yeah, well, you're lucky it was after the game," she added sardonically. "And violence doesn't solve anything." She held his chin up and examined her work. He shivered when she brushed some his fringe away.

"It doesn't get you anywhere," she persisted, oblivious to her effect on him.

"That's not true."

She pulled away and he instantly missed her proximity.

"Oh really?" she laughed heartily, fixing him with a disbelieving look. "And what did you gain out of this, exactly?"

He suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her closer.

"You've been fussing over me for the past twenty minutes. I'd say that's something." He was pleased to see her blush.

"I wasn't fussing," she retorted

"Yes, _you were_, but you're too stubborn to realize it." He kept a firm grip on her hips to keep her in place.

"There's nothing to realize," she said determinedly. Derek narrowed his eyes, but his smirk never left.

After a short pause, he sighed melodramatically.

"You're a coward."

Casey gasped. "Am not." He was the second person today to accuse her of being a coward. It was starting to annoy her.

"Are too." He laughed at how childish they sounded. In typical Casey fashion, she huffed in aggravation.

"You're a jerk," she said, finally breaking free. Derek watched her leave the bathroom in bemusement. "Coward," he repeated loudly after her. He was caught off guard when she suddenly spun on her heels and marched directly at him.

He was even more shocked when she palmed his face and brought her lips to his. It wasn't long before he was responding readily to her persuasive advances. Her hands roved into his hair and he had to fight to get the upper-hand. A surge of electricity shot through him when she softly moaned into his mouth. They dizzily parted when oxygen became a necessity.

"I'm not a coward," she whispered, opening her eyes. She slowly disentangled herself from him, looking dazed and mystified. "I'm confused." She made a quick dash down the stairs and headed straight to her room as Derek languorously followed her with his eyes.

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**Author's Post-Note**: Do you like, do you not like? Your reviews really help me shape the following chapters so I really appreciate anything you guys have to say. You guys have been so great so far.

I wrote a random oneshot the other day… a light Derek/Casey oneshot. Check it out if you get a chance. It's called Grape Juice. Peace.


	8. Close to Honesty

**Author's pre-note**: I'm so sorry for the long wait guys! Here it is: the before-last chapter.

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_Chapter 8  
_**Close to Honesty**

"You're avoiding me again," he said sparingly before she exited the kitchen.

"Don't be silly," she dismissed easily, barely giving him a second glance. He exhaled loudly. Casey had been ignoring him for the past two days. Ever since they had kissed, it felt like he had disappeared out of her radar.

He grabbed his plate of food and proceeded to the living room in frustration. As he was walking to his recliner, he couldn't help but overhear Casey and Nora's conversation.

"I don't know, Casey," Nora said cautiously, shaking her head. "Didn't you just get your license?"

"Well, yeah. But I really wanna go. _Please_," Casey insisted.

"Can't you carpool with Amanda?"

"I _can_… but only if I leave tonight and sleep at her brother's place," she countered wryly. "But I didn't think you'd be okay with that."

Nora snorted deprecatingly. "That is correct."

Derek duly noted that Nora still sounded very much skeptical.

"Come on, mom. It's only an hour away. I'll be fine," Casey persisted imploringly.

There was a short pause before her mother replied. He wished he could just turn around and gauge her expression, but it would look too suspicious. He was supposedly watching TV.

"Okay, but only if you take Derek with you," Nora said firmly. This caused him to look back, feigning stupidity.

"What?" Casey screeched, her eyes wide in surprise.

"He's been driving longer than you," she said with finality, standing up from the dining chair. "Aren't you guys getting along anyway?"

"Like bee and honey, really," Derek answered in lieu of Casey, with a chirpy voice to boot. He was smirking arrogantly back at her, ignoring her glare. The look on her face was priceless. Her nose flared dramatically as she pursed her lips.

Derek had to repress the urge to run to her, haul her on the table and kiss her senseless. He honestly thought he would have done it if it weren't for Nora's presence.

There was just something so enticing about Casey when she was angry and worked up.

"Do I have to?" she whined, though he heard the distinct sound of a chair creaking.

"Yes," Nora answered with finality as she walked away. Derek was watching the whole exchange with rapt interest. Casey narrowed her eyes back at Derek, but relented.

"_Fine_, but I'm still driving."

"And where we'll _we_ be driving to?" he said, emphasizing the fact that they were going to go _together_. It was bound to get a rise out of her.

"Don't pretend like you weren't listening," she retorted, pointing an accusatory finger at Derek.

"The world doesn't revolve around you, Case. I was kind of preoccupied," he lied, gesturing towards the TV. She rolled her eyes.

"So?" he maintained stubbornly. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"We're going to watch Andrew play in Hamilton," she muttered. "Do you wanna come or not?" she continued, and groaned at his accepting nod.

"Figures." She marched off in a huff, not even trying to argue with him. She was cute when she pouted.

"We're leaving at five-thirty, no later. Got it?" Her face was set in determination. "Or I'm leaving without you."

"Don't count on it, Case," he called at her retreating form.

Truth be told, Derek was very glad to have been dragged into this. It would give him a chance to keep an eye on her. Ever since Casey had befriended Amanda a year and a half ago, she has had a diligent crush on her older brother. _What kind of name was Andrew, anyway?_

He felt a twinge of doubt, recalling Casey's recent behavior. Suddenly feeling like a brick settled into his stomach, Derek realized that he might not be getting what he wanted.

And he really wanted Casey.

0

She couldn't believe this. It was hard enough to ignore him at home and at school. Put her in a car with him and she'll explode. She still wasn't sure what that meant, though.

_Yes_, she had kissed him two days ago. And _yes_, she had liked it.

But that was beside the point.

She fell back on her bed in defeat, wondering idly how she was going to handle an entire car ride alone with him. It was almost time to leave but she couldn't bring herself to go downstairs just yet.

She wasn't going to deny it. She _liked_ Derek. She'd honestly be fooling herself if she didn't recognize the staggering chemistry they shared, chemistry they've _always_ shared. To top it off, Derek had been good to her these past few weeks.

The possibility of her moving out must have really shaken him. She had quickly realized it; it was a turning point in their relationship. Him flirting with her, however, was making things complicated. There were simply too many reasons for her not to act on her feelings. A broken heart seemed like the only possible ending.

Sighing tiredly, she tried to find a more comfortable position, but the vivid red digits were glaring morosely back at her. It was time to leave.

As she made her way downstairs, she spotted Derek waiting patiently at the foot of the stairs. She knew from his arrogant smirk that he was going to make things difficult.

She yelled a quick goodbye to her mother who made sure Derek followed her out.

Casey exhaled exasperatedly. _If only her mother knew what she was getting her daughter into…_

She walked up to the passenger seat without realizing it.

Derek laughed. "I thought you wanted to drive." He stood behind her, gesturing to the keys still in her hands.

She never thought she'd see the day where her stomach would flutter at the sight of his boyish smirk. She tried to maintain her composure, hastily making her way around the car and taking her respectful seat. It wasn't long before she regained her senses.

"You know the way?" Derek asked casually.

"Yes, I looked it up and Andrew went over it with me." Derek grimaced at that.

"Why are you going to watch him anyway?" he asked nonchalantly, though Casey could detect a definite undertone of grumpiness.

"'Cause he's good," she answered, amused at Derek's obvious dislike. She tried not to think of the reasons why.

"Well, how come you never watch D-Rock play?"

"Um, Derek, I don't remember you guys ever having a show. Well, not one I wasn't in," she said in laughter.

"We played in the garage a couple of times," he muttered, slightly pouting.

"Yeah, and you always said how I made things awkward with Sam," she retorted in defense. It was true. She secretly enjoyed watching them, but she was always afraid she'd ruin the vibe.

"And you listened?" Derek said in surprise.

"Yeah, I did. I might not have liked you at times, but I wasn't going to go out of my way to ruin your day. You wanted to play just you and the guys. I got it."

Derek didn't respond right away. He looked at her intently, making her nervous in the process.

But he just nodded, and turned his head towards the window.

After a lengthy silence, Derek finally spoke up.

"How come you never came to my hockey games then? Everyone else usually does." He was quiet, as if he was afraid of the answer.

Hockey was never her thing. And she always figured Derek wouldn't have liked her there anyway, so she never thought it was worth it. She was sure he didn't know this, but she did go to some of his games.

"I remember once you were playing, I think it was against Montreal, and Sam must have hurt his ankle. You were the first one by his side. Sam refused to be benched but you wouldn't let him. I think you offered to sit yourself if he went back on the ice," Casey said, matching his tone of voice.

Derek frowned. "That was three weeks ago."

"It was." She kept her focus on the road in front of her.

"You were still sick," he said stupidly.

"Yeah, but I knew it was important to you," she admitted. "No one was able to go that time, so I said, _what the hell_."

"Why didn't you tell me you were there?" he asked, sounding distinctly disappointed.

"I didn't get a chance to. I don't know… I just didn't," she finished lamely. "But I thought it was really sweet of you."

"His ankle was badly injured… he could have ruined his whole season," Derek explained, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily.

This wasn't a side of Derek she saw very often. He was always so cocky and confident.

It was starting to get dark, but she tried not to let that faze her. She never did like driving in the dark. She groaned when she realized she'd have to drive back in the dark as well.

"What's wrong?" Derek said, interrupting her chain of thoughts.

She hadn't even realized she had groaned out loud. "It's gonna be late on our way back."

"And?" Derek continued, clearly missing the point. She shook her head in dismissal.

"Nevermind."

"Alright."

Most of the car ride was spent in silence. They launched into a heated argument about the genius of John Mayer at some point. They were still at it when they reached the destined café.

"How would you know if he was sincere or not?" Casey retorted as she got out of the car.

"'Cause he dated Jessica Simpson."

"I don't see how that determines his sincerity. No one said the songs were about her," Casey countered. Derek was undeterred.

"No, but it does tell us what type of girl he likes," he persisted. "It's hard to imagine him writing a song like _Dreaming with a Broken Heart_ and meaning it for girls like that."

She was surprised Derek even knew the song.

"You use to always play his albums," Derek answered her unspoken question. "It's hard _not_ to know them."

Casey huffed, trying not to let his unabashed reasoning get to her. "Maybe there was one different girl in his life."

Derek snorted. "And he wrote all his songs for her?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Casey opened the door and tried to spot her best friend. When she was unsuccessful, she made her way to a small round table near the stage. Amanda was probably backstage anyway.

"A bit hung up, don't you think?" Derek continued, sitting beside her.

"Ah whatever Derek, he's still a good lyricist," Casey conceded. It's not like Derek wasn't making any sense.

"Yes, but he's not sincere," Derek stated with satisfaction. "That should give him fewer points."

Casey shook her head but couldn't help the smile quirking on her lips. "And I suppose you're _so_ sincere with your music?"

"_Yes_," Derek said without hesitation. "I don't know if you've noticed, Case, but my songs usually have few words."

This made her laugh. At least Derek was honest.

When he stood up to get them something to drink, Amanda finally showed up.

"The mocha's here are amazing," she claimed enthusiastically, patting Derek on his back as a greeting. "Hey Derek."

"Amanda," he returned her smile and looked back at Casey. "So a mocha?" She nodded.

"Anything, Amanda?"

"Mint green tea," she answered, giving him the change for the drink. He tried to refuse it but she insisted.

He left a moment after that. Amanda sat on Casey's other side and smiled roguishly at her friend.

"So?"

She hated it when Amanda made everything so obvious. "_So_ what?"

Amanda chuckled. "If something does happen again, you'd tell me right?"

"Yes," Casey sighed. She had called Amanda right after the whole kissing incident with Derek. Amanda was absolutely ecstatic. She had been pestering her about Derek ever since. Casey knew it was all in good intention however annoying it was.

"So how's your brother doing?" Casey asked, trying to divert the subject before Derek cam back.

"Ah, same ol' same ol'. He's glad you came. Kept saying how he missed your _discussions_."

Casey blushed. The one thing that attracted to her to Andrew was that he was a lot like Derek. She was loath to admit it, but it was true. Even Amanda had revealed one night that one of the reason's she'd never develop romantic feelings for Derek was because he was too much like her brother.

Speaking of the devil, Andrew poked his head out of the curtains and approached their table after spotting them.

"Andrew!" she said happily.

He pulled her into a hug. "It's been a while."

Amanda pulled a chair for him so he wouldn't sit on Derek's chair.

"It's fine, sis. I'm going on soon. Just wanted to say hi." He flashed Casey another million dollar grin and left.

If she wasn't so enamored by Derek, she'd probably flirt back. She turned her head towards the deli counter but couldn't find Derek. She finally saw him walking out of the café right before the door closed behind him.

She contemplated waiting for him, but decided against it. She hurriedly explained the situation to Amanda and made her way to the door.

She cursed inwardly, wondering what she had gotten herself into this time.

0

**Author's post-note**: it's a bit long, I know… but it was going to be longer. I decided to just split it into two. This chapter's purpose was more to reveal their feelings and what's going on in their heads. Not much of a plot, but hey!

And regarding the John Mayer reference, my friend and I were talking about it the other day. We've both acknowledged that John Mayer is really talented but we have a hard time believing he's being sincere. Any take on that?

By the way, a few details in previous chapters were changed because I wanted Casey to personally know Sarah before meeting her at the park… she used to baby-sit Amy. Not very important at this point, but I just thought I'd mention it.


	9. Chirpy Birds and SevenWord Songs

**Author's Pre-Note**: Last chapter…

_0_

_Chapter 9  
_**Chirpy Birds and Seven-Word Songs **

Derek was pretty sure he was the first one to see Andrew emerge from behind the stage. Andrew eyed Casey and Amanda's table, but approached some guy who Derek assumed was the other guitarist instead.

Derek couldn't help but notice how Andrew's attention kept diverting back to Casey. There was an odd expression playing on his face. Derek fidgeted nervously. Andrew wasn't like Sam or Max, he was actually a _good_ match for Casey. It made Derek nervous.

There were two people in the line before him. Not having anything better to look at, he watched Andrew walk back to where he came from, his friend close at his heels, and heaved a sigh of relief.

Derek was never able to successfully shake off his all too frequent jealousy. To his dismay, Andrew reappeared and actually joined the two girls this time. In a rare moment of insecurity, he decided he didn't want to witness whatever was going to unfold. He made a dash to the door, but not without seeing Casey give Andrew a rather enthusiastic hug. The urge to punch Andrew had never been stronger.

Once he was safely outside, the crisp air nipped harshly at his skin. His large sweater was far from warm enough. A young guy was standing a few feet away, smoking a cigarette. Before Derek contemplated anything, he addressed him.

"Can you spare a smoke?" he asked politely. Derek wasn't much of a smoker, but on a few occasions, he'd permit it. The guy handed him a cigarette and his lighter.

"Thanks," Derek said as he lit it up.

He didn't hear the door open when he took his first drag.

"Derek?" he heard Casey say from behind him. He turned his head to see her frowning up at him.

"You smoke?" she said incredulously.

"Occasionally," he answered, inwardly questioning why she was there with him in the first place. Her nose scrunched up in distaste, but dropped the subject. She leaned against the wall next to him.

"Andrew is playing soon," she declared. He took a few more drags before replying.

"I don't think Andrew cares about _my_ presence," Derek said casually. He inhaled again. "But I think _your _presence matters."

Casey sighed. "Come on Derek."

He didn't respond, not entirely sure what she was admonishing him for. They spent another minute or so without speaking. Derek was taking puffs and realized it wouldn't be long before his cigarette finished.

He suddenly felt her tense up beside, as if she had just made a galling realization.

"What is your problem?" Casey entreated haughtily. She crossed her arms in defiance. Derek could still tell she was slightly unsure.

"Absolutely nothing," he said nonchalantly. He laughed when she huffed loudly.

"Bullshit," she retorted. He stared back at her.

"I don't know if you recall recent events, _princess_, but you're the one who's been ignoring _me_," he said in agitation. "After a move _you_ initiated." He wasn't lying either. She had been the one avoiding whatever was happening with them.

"That isn't the issue right now," she muttered, fumbling a bit on her words.

"It's not?" Derek droned sardonically.

"No."

"Then what is, Casey? What's my problem?" This was in no way his fault.

"I don't know! You tell me!" she cried exasperatedly.

Derek took another drag. It was his turn to sigh. Casey obviously needed a bit more time to digest everything.

He flicked his cigarette away. "So, Andrew?"

Casey narrowed her eyes. "What about Andrew?"

"Are you interested in him?" He didn't want to beat around the bush. She paused before answering.

"No," she said in a quiet voice.

"All right, then." Derek felt some of the tension in his body dissipate instantly. "I got a mocha and mint green tea to buy now."

"_Derek_," Casey hissed, her tone clearly indicating that the conversation wasn't over.

He grinned impishly. "Meet you in a few minutes?" He didn't wait for an answer. Derek hastily made his way back inside and walked to the counter. Andrew had already started. Derek placed his order and looked back in Casey's direction as she softly took her seat. Feeling ten times lighter then he had been feeling an hour earlier, he followed her to the table, order in hand and smile in place.

At least he didn't have to worry about competition.

0

She was right. Derek _was_ making things difficult, but it wasn't really his fault. _She_ had been the one compelled to follow him out. She could have easily stayed put in her chair and waited for him to come back. But on impulse, she stood up and meant him outside.

So now, as she was trying to enjoy her mocha and listen to Andrew lilting voice, Derek's hand was proving to be a horribly delightful distraction. She had almost jumped in startle when he suddenly placed his hand on her lower-back. Thankfully, no one had noticed. She couldn't bring himself to tell him to stop. His right hand was slowly and gently traveling up and down her back. His body was closely aligned to hers, making it hard to simply brush him off.

Casey had to fight to keep her eyes from closing.

It had been about twenty minutes into the show when Derek finally stopped. He stood up, looking absolutely unaffected, and headed to the bathroom. She rubbed her palms roughly over her face.

Amanda nudged her. "You okay?" she whispered.

Casey could only nod.

"Sure?" she persisted in a low voice.

"Yeah." She wasn't up to explaining the situation right away anyway. She was even surprised that Amanda hadn't noticed. Andrew announced a short break a few minutes later. He hopped off the stage and walked up to them. Derek had retaken his seat by then and leaned back casually.

"So, what'd you think?" Andrew asked enthusiastically as he sat opposite Casey. He seemed to have eyes only for her.

"It was really good," she said demurely, trying not to sound too generous in case she gave him _and_ Derek the wrong idea. She felt a wave of guilt when Andrew's grin faltered a bit.

To her surprise, Derek chipped in. "You were great, man." Andrew's attention turned to Derek.

"Casey's step-brother, right?"

Derek's face pinched but he recovered quickly. "Yeah. Derek." He outstretched his hand politely to which Andrew took graciously.

"Derek is in a band," Amanda added cheerily.

"Really?" Andrew looked curious. Casey was just happy his attention wasn't solely on her anymore.

"Yeah, but we don't really play anymore," Derek clarified.

A small smile crept up on Casey's lips. "Except in the garage." And for the second time that day, she was privy to his all too adorable boyish smile.

"They any good?" Andrew's attention was unfortunately back on her. She contended herself in remembering that he'd be going back on soon.

"Well, it's a bit hard to tell. _All that noise_ and all," she teased. Derek shook his head.

"With such few words, right?" he added.

"Precisely," she agreed. "But I guess it has its appeal…"

"_Thanks_, Case" he replied dryly. "I do remember you going along with it. So really, it can't have been that bad."

They shared a smile.

"Why do I feel like I just missed something?" Andrew interrupted.

"Casey was the lead singer of their band once," Amanda explained. "It was for a contest, right?" She looked at Casey for confirmation.

"Battle of the Bands," Derek said.

"_You sing_?" Andrew said in astonishment.

"Yeah, and she's really good," Amanda added happily. Casey's looked down in embarrassment. She felt Derek's hand once again trekking on her lower-back.

"Is she really?" he asked Derek in trepidation. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the presence of Derek's hand on her back. Andrew leaned forward towards Derek and lowered his voice. "If she sounds like a screeching bird, you can tell me."

"Hey!"

"Well, I wouldn't say a screeching bird," Derek started, feeling Casey shove him roughly. "More like an annoyingly chirpy bird."

Andrew's face scrunched up in mock-repulsion. "She's one of those?"

Derek nodded sagely.

"Will you two stop laughing at my expense? I was fifteen," Casey shot back in defense. "It's not like I sing anymore."

Before Derek had a chance to retort, they were interrupted.

"Andy," someone called out. Andrew's partner was gesturing for him to come back on.

"That's my cue," he said as he got up. "Don't think I'm letting you off that easily, McDonald. I _will_ hear you sing."

Casey snorted. "Alright, _Corrente_. We'll see."

0

"Remind me why we're not on our way home?" Derek inquired as he got into the car.

"_Because_," Casey said vaguely, starting the engine as Amanda and Andrew waited for them to follow.

When she didn't say anything else, Derek scoffed. "That's not a reason, genius."

"Do you really need to be home right now?" she griped.

"Yes." He honestly didn't care, but it was fun to watch her get riled up.

"Well, too bad," she retorted in defiance. "And I know you have nothing better to do at home so you can drop the I'm-too-cool-and-busy-for-you crap."

Derek laughed. "Alright. Maybe I don't have anything better to do, but that doesn't mean I have to tolerate lover boy drooling over you."

"Didn't we settle this?" Casey groaned.

"On your part, yes, but _someone_ isn't getting a hint. Maybe I should nudge him a bit," he mused out loud.

"You are not _nudging_ anyone, Derek," Casey said sternly. "I don't see how what he feels matters."

Derek chortled heartily. "That's harsh."

"Ah! You know what I mean, you _ass_." They pulled into the parking lot of a diner, having closely followed Amanda's car.

"Oh, so we're back to name calling now?" Derek teased. "Seems like our truce is falling at the seams."

"You started it," she muttered. She was having a bit of difficulty parking.

"What did_ I_ say?"

"You called me princess before."

"Princess is _not_ insulting," he said determinedly. He looked at the window cautiously.

"Well, you said it in a derogatory way." She exhaled happily when she finally managed to park right.

"_Derogatory_? I was merely using a fitting term."

She got out of the car. "Right."

They were still at it when they meant Amanda and Andrew at the door.

"I'm not apologizing 'til you apologize," Casey finished stubbornly. He knew she wasn't really angry or particularly peeved, but she wasn't going to back down.

"Apologize for what?" Amanda asked curiously as they entered the restaurant.

"What's worse, calling someone a princess, or _an ass_?" Derek asked the two siblings.

"Princess in a _derogatory_ way," Casey corrected obstinately.

"_Fine _then. Princess, in a _derogatory way_, or ass?" he repeated with the additional detail. "And don't take sides."

The waitress led them to a table and handed them menus. When she was gone, Amanda was the first to answer. It wasn't the first time she was dragged into one of their arguments. She had learned that it was less amusing if she didn't put her two cents in.

"Princess, _definitely_," she said easily. "It's more insulting because it's more of a personal stab, whereas 'ass' is more of a generic term."

"Thank you!" Casey exclaimed.

"But ass is more vulgar," Andrew added off-handedly.

"Precisely," Derek bounced slightly in his seat.

Andrew and Amanda argued about it for a little while longer but finally agreed that it depended on the context. They looked back at Casey and Derek.

Interestingly enough, the context in which the words were said was not really something they were ready to talk about.

"Don't remember," Derek said after a short pause. It was true, too, but most of their conversations have revolved more or less around their current rather unclear relationship.

"Me neither," she said a moment later. Knowing Casey, she probably did remember, though.

She absently slipped Derek her menu. He nodded in understanding. When the waitress came back, Derek ordered for her. When she left, Andrew regarded them curiously.

"Did you just order for her?" he remarked.

Amanda giggled. "Casey takes _so _much time to choose something to eat. Trust me, it's better this way."

"She takes _forever_," Derek added amusedly.

"And does she eat like a chirpy bird too?" Andrew joked.

"What is this? Gang up on Casey day?" Casey cried in disbelief. Derek's body shook in laughter beside her. Amanda patted her sympathetically on the shoulder from across the table.

"Sorry," Andrew apologized, a wolfish grin plastered on his face. "Can't help it. It's too easy."

There was a note of fondness in his voice and Derek's earlier feelings of irritation towards Andrew were slowly resurfacing.

And to think he was staring to like the guy.

Wanting to change the subjects, he launched into a conversation about Andrew's band. It was successful. By the time they had finished eating, Derek knew all about Andrew's past music career. He had to admit he was a bit awed. Andrew had played in California and New York. He was huge on the internet too.

He's afraid he might have shed too much light on Andrew in front of Casey. He turned back to look at her and was relieved to see her immersed in a conversation with Amanda.

"You guys finished? The movie is in 5. We can still catch it," Andrew said as he waved for the check. Amanda and Casey nodded absently, continuing their discussion.

Once they paid for their food, they quickly made it to their cars and drove to the movie theatre.

"So what were you and Amanda talking about?" Derek asked inquisitively.

"Oh, she was just talking about an old friend of Andrews who tried to commit suicide. Dark stuff, don't wanna repeat it," she said, a small frown on her face. "What did you and Andrew talk about?"

"What he's done with his band and all," he answered casually.

"Anything interesting?" she said, visibly distracted by the road. She was trying not to lose sight of her friend's car.

"Here and there," he mumbled, feeling a tad guilty for omitting some rather remarkable facts. Andrew would eventually tell her about all his accomplishments anyway; he was the cocky type.

"Mmmmm."

Conversation was sparse after that. He did remember Casey telling Lizzie she didn't like driving in the dark. He made a mental note to take the steering wheel on the way back home.

The movie was uneventful. He wasn't surprised to see Casey falling asleep on Amanda's shoulder. Casey wasn't really a movie person. She tended to fall asleep through them if she was tired enough.

He hadn't noticed before, but she had dark circles under eyes. Her make-up couldn't mask the shadows revealed under the screen's light. When it was over, Amanda and Derek stood outside waiting for the two others to come back from the bathroom.

"You know, she's just scared," Amanda said quietly, breaking the silence. "She'll kill me for telling you this, but she's afraid of getting hurt."

Derek frowned. He wasn't surprised Amanda was aware of the situation. She was Casey's best friend after all. "She thinks I'd hurt her?"

"She doesn't really know any better. You don't have the best track record, Derek," Amanda continued. She bit her lip guiltily. "Casey's gonna kill me."

He sighed heavily. "I won't say anything. Don't worry about it."

As Casey and Andrew made their way back, Amanda managed to whisper before they came into earshot.

"I think she just needs reassurance." She turned on her heels.

They exchanged goodbyes, and before leaving Andrew briefly explained to them how to get back on the highway. Derek would have listened attentively if Amanda's words hadn't stirred such an intense reaction from him.

0

Casey had had about four hours of sleep the previous night. She hadn't been able to fall asleep and hadn't been able to sleep in because of a meeting she had in the morning at the community center.

The tiredness only kicked in after eating. She hoped to God that Derek had listened to Andrew's directions because all _she_ wanted to do was sleep.

"Derek," she called out, but he seemed distracted. She repeated his name, louder this time.

"Yeah?" he said, jolting out of his daze.

She looked at him tiredly and flashing him a puppy dog expression. "You mind driving?"

He smiled slightly, outstretching his hand to take the keys.

She shivered, entering the warmth of the car. Derek easily drove away from the diner, following Casey's instructions. They made it to the highway without difficulty. He was silent most of the way. Casey couldn't help noticing the reflective expression playing on his face. She would have said something if she weren't so tired.

"Why hadn't she just forgone the movie trip altogether?" she thought morosely. A few moments later, Derek finally spoke up, albeit in a quiet voice.

"You wouldn't be another Jessica Simpson."

In her sleep induced state, Casey wasn't quite sure what he was trying to say. "What?"

"You wouldn't be just _another_ girl," he said after a short pause.

Oh. "I wouldn't?" She kept her eyes fixed on the darkness outside.

"No," he said with no hesitation. Without realizing, she turned her gaze to him. She was taken aback by the sincerity in his expression. "Far from it."

She diverted her gaze back to the window, letting the statement mull in her head.

"Then what would I be?" she asked in a barely audible voice. They entered a lit roadway and she started to see familiar buildings around them. Casey vaguely noted that Derek must have been going relatively fast.

He seemed to be thinking about it for a moment, but his voice came out clear and sure when he answered.

"You'd be the one different girl I'd write my seven-word songs about."

She let out a small breath of laughter. Leave it to Derek to lighten a situation with a joke. It was one of the things that made him so endearing.

"Does this mean you'll be writing better songs?" she said lightly.

"I'd try," he laughed quietly. She could practically feel some of the tension drain from his body. "Seven words is already an upgrade."

"I _know_. Can't you make it to eight, for my name and all," she teased.

His face scrunched up in mock-disgust. "I'd consider it but I fear that it might come out too corny."

She instantly felt herself swell at the easiness of the moment.

"I think I've reached my corny quota of the _year_," he added. She laughed quietly. "And just so you know, you're entirely to blame."

She couldn't stop the goofy smile from spreading across her face. When they hit a red light, she grasped his hand, the one casually resting on the board between them. He accepted it easily.

"And to think all I had to do was threaten to move out," Casey muttered, looking out the window and recognizing a neighboring street to theirs.

It was quiet in the car. She was processing this turn of events when she suddenly got an idea.

"You have a week."

"A week?" he repeated stupidly, looking at her with wide eyes.

"To write me a seven-word song," she said as if it was the most obvious thing.

"I don't think so, Case," he dismissed. His deep chuckle was affecting her in the strangest way. When she kept a straight face, he gaped at her.

"You're serious?"

He groaned when she nodded enthusiastically. They had reached their house by then and Derek was still shaking his head in disbelief.

"There is no backing out," she said, starting to list a number of rules. "You have until next Saturday at midnight. It has to include my name too." They entered the house quietly. He watched her, trapped between amusement and incredulity as they divested themselves of their coats.

All of a sudden, she reached on her tip toes and kissed him right on the corner of his lips. "Goodnight!" And with that, she left a bewildered looking Derek standing alone.

0

He stood there for a few more moments and headed to his room. It was nearing midnight, but he knocked on his dad's door to alert them of their return. He knew they'd be angry if he didn't. They grunted a faint response of acknowledgement.

He made to his room, changed into his night clothes and brushed his teeth in a strange kind of haze. Still feeling unfulfilled, he jogged quietly down to Casey's room. Her light was open.

She was all ready for bed when she answered the door. He heard the distinct sound of her computer shutting off as he tried to shake his surging swell of desire.

"I told you, you can't back out. And the rules are firmly re–" she started to say but was abruptly cut off. He cupped her face and brought her lips to his. Thinking it would dissuade his urgency, he was surprised to see it had the opposite effect. Sliding his tongue against hers only served to fuel his desire tenfold.

He gently led her further into the room and kicked the door closed. The sound must have jolted her out of the moment.

"Someone will hear us!" she cried in panic.

"Case, we're in the basement." He laughed at her goldfish expression. She looked at a loss of word. Seeing an opportunity, Derek kissed her again.

"_Derek_," she admonished in a breathy voice that made him want to do it all over again. He smirked guiltily instead.

"Couldn't help myself," he admitted. Her head rested on his chest as she tried to catch her breath. "Did you really think _that_ kiss would be enough?"

He smiled when she blushed. "Granted, it was nice. But I've wanted to _really_ kiss you for a while now."

When she stayed quiet, he hunched his head down to capture her gaze. "What, have you lost your voice?" he teased. "Where's spitfire Casey?"

A devious expression appeared on her face. She narrowed her eyes as her smirk grew. Casey shoved him towards the door and opened it for him.

"Come back when you've written that song," she said self-importantly. As she moved to push him again, he grabbed her hands and pulled her to him. He kissed her soundly.

When they broke apart, Casey caught him off guard by finally managing to shove him out. He almost tripped on the first step. "_The song_, Venturi," she reminded him in mock-arrogance. And then her door was closed.

He chuckled all the way up, thinking of ways he could include 'chirpy bird' and 'Casey' in the same seven-word sequence without sounding too trite.

And he knew she wouldn't let him back in her room if he didn't come up with it soon.

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**THE END**

So that's it guys, the last chapter of the story! Hope you guys liked it  
Thanks for everyone who read the story and for all those reviews :)

_**Edit**_: There is a companion piece to this story. It's called 'Bighearted'. It's already up, and could be found on my profile page.


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